green numbers give full details.     |    back to list of philosophers     |     expand these ideas

Ideas of Epictetus, by Text

[Greek, 55 - 135, Born in slavery at Hierapolis. Taught by Musonius Rufus. Freed, and founded his own school at Nicopolis. Arrian was a pupil.]

56 The Discourses
p.44 In the Discourses choice [prohairesis] defines our character and behaviour [Frede,M]
p.46 Epictetus developed a notion of will as the source of our responsibility [Frede,M]
1.01.23 p.7 Not even Zeus can control what I choose
1.01.23 p.7 You can fetter my leg, but not even Zeus can control my power of choice
1.01.32 p.7 I will die as becomes a person returning what he does not own
1.03.03 p.11 We consist of animal bodies and god-like reason
1.04.18 p.13 We make progress when we improve and naturalise our choices, asserting their freedom
1.04.26 p.196 Tragedies are versified sufferings of people impressed by externals
1.06.19 p.17 God created humans as spectators and interpreters of God's works
1.12.09 p.33 Freedom is acting by choice, with no constraint possible
1.12.09 p.33 Freedom is making all things happen by choice, without constraint
1.17.01 p.41 Because reason performs all analysis, we should analyse reason - but how?
1.18.6-7 p.44 Punishing a criminal for moral ignorance is the same as punishing someone for being blind
1.20.05 p.48 Reason itself must be compounded from some of our impressions
1.29.01 p.65 The essences of good and evil are in dispositions to choose
2.01.13 p.76 Don't be frightened of pain or death; only be frightened of fearing them
2.05.26 p.85 A person is as naturally a part of a city as a foot is part of the body
2.06.10 p.87 If I know I am fated to be ill, I should want to be ill
2.08.01 p.90 Both god and the good bring benefits, so their true nature seems to be the same
2.08.07 p.90 Asses are born to carry human burdens, not as ends in themselves
2.08.29 p.92 A wise philosophers uses reason to cautiously judge each aspect of living
2.10.03 p.95 We are citizens of the universe, and principal parts of it
2.10.04 p.95 A citizen should only consider what is good for the whole society
2.10.04 p.200 A citizen is committed to ignore private advantage, and seek communal good
2.10.05 p.200 If we could foresee the future, we should collaborate with disease and death
2.10.22 p.97 We have a natural sense of honour
2.10.26 p.97 If someone harms themselves in harming me, then I harm myself by returning the harm
2.11.13 p.202 Philosophy investigates the causes of disagreements, and seeks a standard for settling them
2.11.24 p.100 The task of philosophy is to establish standards, as occurs with weights and measures
2.20.01 p.126 Self-evidence is most obvious when people who deny a proposition still have to use it
2.22.03 p.133 Knowledge of what is good leads to love; only the wise, who distinguish good from evil, can love
3.01.23 p.151 Every species produces exceptional beings, and we must just accept their nature
3.03.10 p.157 Zeus gave me a nature which is free (like himself) from all compulsion
3.07.15 p.165 We can't believe apparent falsehoods, or deny apparent truths
3.13.15 p.177 Each of the four elements in you is entirely scattered after death
3.20.04 p.185 Health is only a good when it is used well
4.01.125 p.239 The evil for everything is what is contrary to its nature
4.01.42 p.230 All human ills result from failure to apply preconceptions to particular cases
4.08.14 p.111 Philosophy is knowing each logos, how they fit together, and what follows from them
4.10.36 p.277 Homer wrote to show that the most blessed men can be ruined by poor judgement
57 fragments/reports
15 p.313 Even pointing a finger should only be done for a reason
58 The Handbook [Encheiridion]
§16 p.258 Epictetus says we should console others for misfortune, but not be moved by pity [Taylor,C]
16 p.292 If someone is weeping, you should sympathise and help, but not share his suffering
22 p.314 Perhaps we should persuade culprits that their punishment is just?
26 p.295 We see nature's will in the ways all people are the same